Eighteen Bay Area chefs and restaurants are in the running for 2024 James Beard Awards as semifinalists, according to a James Beard Foundation announcement made today.
The semifinalists represent a cross-section of the region’s culinary scene that includes Geoff Davis, the chef behind Oakland’s new fine dining and soul food restaurant Burdell; chefs C-Y Chia and Shane Stanbridge at Oakland’s vegan Lion Dance Cafe; Kristina Costa, pastry chef at Loquat, a Jewish bakery in San Francisco; and Koi Palace, one of the Bay Area’s longtime go-to Cantonese dining and dim sum restaurants located in Daly City.
The James Beard awards, established in 1990, are among the country’s most prestigious culinary honors. The Beard Foundation also honors books, broadcast media and journalism, and achievements in leadership and humanitarianism.
Whether Bay Area restaurants will make a comeback after last year’s shutout remains to be seen. Last year, there were three San Francisco Bay Area finalists, but none ultimately took home the award. It was the first time the region hasn’t medaled since 2016.
Here are the Bay Area 2024 semifinalists:
Outstanding Chef:
Sylvan Mishima Brackett at Rintaro in San Francisco
Outstanding Restaurant:
Koi Palace in Daly City
Emerging Chef:
Emily Zim at Dabao Singapore in San Francisco
Best New Restaurant:
Chez Noir in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Kiln in San Francisco
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker:
Kristina Costa at Loquat in San Francisco
Outstanding Hospitality:
Lazy Bear in San Francisco
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program:
The Morris in San Francisco
Outstanding Bar:
Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco
Related Articles
How an early NASA test pilot launched a Saratoga winery
Chick-fil-A restaurant could sprout near downtown San Jose
Blaze Pizza adds meatballs to its menu
Los Gatos chef-entrepreneur opens one restaurant, closes another
In Mountain View, NASA and aviation history go hand in hand with cocktails
Best Chef in California:
C-Y Chia and Shane Stanbridge at Lion Dance Cafe in Oakland
Geoff Davis at Burdell in Oakland
Azalina Eusope at Azalina’s in San Francisco
Rogelio Garcia at Auro in Calistoga
Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan at Copra in San Francisco
Jeong-In Hwang at San Ho Won in San Francisco
Kristina Liedags Compton at Hilda and Jesse in San Francisco
Laura Ozyilmaz and Sayat Ozyilmaz at Dalida in San Francisco
Finn Stern at Daytrip in Oakland
The 2024 James Beard Award semifinalists will be winnowed down to finalists in the weeks head, with award ceremonies to be held in Chicago June 8-10. See the full list of semifinalists here.
For more food and drink coverage
follow us on Flipboard.